WildPlaces - Stewardship in the Southern Sierrahttp://www.wildplaces.net
Thu, 05 Feb 2015 22:35:49 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1WildPlaces to host Open House at new Porterville HQhttp://www.wildplaces.net/events/wildplaces-to-host-open-house-at-new-porterville-hq/
http://www.wildplaces.net/events/wildplaces-to-host-open-house-at-new-porterville-hq/#commentsThu, 05 Feb 2015 22:15:22 +0000http://www.wildplaces.net/?p=2876WildPlaces (WP), a local non-profit serving the Southern Sierra wild and rural places in stewardship and youth leadership, will hold an Open House at their new location in Porterville at 466 East Putnam Ave. on Saturday, February 21st from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The free event will include a WildPlaces wilderness video, music, Aztec dancing, and food.

The public is invited to the Open House to share WildPlaces’ vision for community alignment and growth as it moves forward with goals to enhance support of the vital relationship between the needs for wilderness and water source preservation and connecting youth to nature as a touchstone for personal development, academics, and leadership.

“We have a strong commitment to local youth who are underrepresented as change-agents. A healthy natural environment belongs in their future. We want social and cultural diverse partnerships to enrich all our wilderness programs. WildPlaces needs the voice of our community. Please feel welcomed to spend the afternoon with us,” states Carla Gerritsma, Executive Director.

Mehmet McMillan, WildPlaces founder, will be on hand to celebrate this event with WildPlaces fans. “This will be a co-creation process with the community to focus WildPlaces’ future. Enjoy the day with us!”

For more information you may contact WildPlaces at 559-539-5263 or email info@wildplaces.net.

WildPlaces welcomes the winter Solstice as we work together to restore and protect the land and rivers of the southern Sierra, inspire community stewardship, and practice reverence for Mother Nature.

]]>http://www.wildplaces.net/events/2659/feed/0Thank you to all of our sponsors, funders and friends!http://www.wildplaces.net/about-us/thank-you-to-all-of-our-sponsors-funders-and-friends/
http://www.wildplaces.net/about-us/thank-you-to-all-of-our-sponsors-funders-and-friends/#commentsTue, 02 Dec 2014 06:27:07 +0000http://www.wildplaces.net/?p=2854Thank you to all of our sponsors, funders and friends!

WildPlaces has completed the move to Porterville! In an effort to be more strategically located nearer our audience, WildPlaces decided that moving from Springville to Porterville would allow us better access to the community and youth, better resources for Board of Director development, and better community relations.

We now share space with Comision Honorifica Mexicana Americana (CHMA), Academia Juvenil de Arte (AJAC), O.L.A. Raza, and Porterville Danza Azteca. The relationships and collective efforts with these and other groups will allow us to become more effective in positively impacting our land, water, and communities.

We are located 466 East Putnam in Porterville (93265) and invite you to come visit our new space. To learn more, reach Carla or Mehmet at info@wildplaces.net and 559.539.5263.

November 15, 2014

WildPlaces moves to Porterville, CA

WildPlaces — a local non-profit committed to protecting and restoring water, land, and communities– has completed the 16 mile move to Porterville! In an effort to be more strategically located nearer our audience, WildPlaces decided that moving from Springville to Porterville would allow us better access to the community and youth, better resources for Board of Director development, and better community relations.

We now share space with Comision Honorifica Mexicana Americana (CHMA), Academia Juvenil de Arte (AJAC), O.L.A. Raza, and Porterville Danza Azteca. The relationships and collective efforts with these and other groups will allow us to become more effective in positively impacting our land, water, and communities.

January 3 and 10
Moure Preserve Oak Woodland Restoration. Volunteers needed to prepare planting sites, spread mulch, remove invasive plant species, and plant trees.January 21 and 22
Artboles: Art and the Environment field trip. Vine Street Community Day School and Burton Pathways High School each to go to the Tule River and the site of the mural project for 2015February 16
WildPlaces presents to Visalia Pride Lion’s ClubEvery Saturday
WildPlaces/USFS Native Plant Nursery maintenance dayApril 2015
WildPlaces Annual Fundraiser

Rio Limpio: Tule River Stewardship, Education, and Outreach

Rio Limpio: Tule River Stewardship, Education and Outreach are single and multi-day river stewardship events where volunteers improve water quality, reduce the risk of catastrophic fire events, increase the publics personal responsibility for the river, reduce violence and gang activity, and enjoy the beauty and magic of our rivers.

Join us on monthly special days of stewardship, community, and fun by calling 559.539.5263 and emailing us at mehmet@wildplaces.net. Events are held monthly so call and join us on the Tule and Kern Rivers!

WildPlaces’ Native Plant Nursery Maintenance Days

Our native plant nursery located in Springville is a partnership with U.S.F.S. where we propagate and care for hundreds of trees, grasses and shrubs unique to this area. Plant material is used in restoration projects as well as given away to the public for home gardens. Volunteers manage the nursery where Blue and Valley oaks, elderberry, redbud, Giant sequoia, willow, wild rose, ceanothus, and other unique plants thrive throughout the year.

Volunteers manage the nursery where Blue and Valley oaks, elderberry, redbud, Giant sequoia, willow, wild rose, ceanothus, and other unique plants thrive throughout the year.We meet every third Saturday from 9 a.m. until 12 noon to plant, replant, and care for plant stock plus maintain and improve the nursery’s function. Call 559.539.5263 and email at mehmet@wildplaces.net

Mission

Our mission is to restore and protect the wild and rural places of the southern Sierra Nevada and support the peoples who live, work and play in these landscapes through volunteer-driven habitat restoration, nature and culture education, advocacy, and career development.

Vision

We envision communities that are aware of and take direct action in the long term preservation, health, and sustainability of all natural resources and cultures, fostering a nature ethic that will spread locally, regionally, and world-wide.

Wild Places Open House February 21, 2015!

Mehmet McMillan, WildPlaces founder, will be on hand to celebrate this event with WildPlaces fans. “This will be a co-creation process with the community to focus WildPlaces’ future. Enjoy the day with us!”

WildPlaces is dedicated to the restoration and protection of the wild and rural places of the southern Sierra Nevada while supporting the peoples who live, work, and play here. We design volunteer-driven habitat restoration projects and education events for the long-term preservation, health, and sustainability of natural resources and cultures. Preserving the world-class health and beauty of the southern Sierra through community engagement and land stewardship leads to a more engaged population and awesome world. We invite you to take part with us.

Find Out About Ways You Can Help Youth, Land and Water in the Southern Sierra Nevada

Help Out!

Our Programs

Immersed In The Wild

The Immersed in the Wild Program is one to five-day backcountry and front country trips into the mountains where participants learn leadership skills, nature ethic principles, habitat restoration techniques, culture and culture identity, art , and much more. Our youth return more empowered, renewed, and better prepared to be active witnesses to the issues important to them

Rio Limpio

Rio Limpio: Tule River Stewardship, Education and Outreach are single and multi-day river stewardship events where volunteers improve water quality, reduce the risk of catastrophic fire events, increase the publics personal responsibility for the river, reduce violence and gang activity, and enjoy the beauty and magic of our rivers.

Sequoia Forest Days

Oak Propagation

Our native plant nursery located in Springville is a partnership with U.S.F.S. where we propagate and care for hundreds of trees, grasses and shrubs unique to this area. Plant material is used in restoration projects as well as given away to the public for home gardens. Volunteers manage the nursery where Blue and Valley oaks, elderberry, redbud, Giant sequoia, willow, wild rose, ceanothus, and other unique plants thrive throughout the year.

Responsible Growth

WildPlaces tracks and supports city-centered approaches to urban development, protection of oak woodland habitat in rangeland landscapes and county general plans, the use of drought tolerant native plants in home and business landscape plans, public transportation, and other sustainable tactics that create greener and healthier spaces. We take a watershed-wide view of protecting water resources and improving air quality.

River Ridge Ranch: Rangland and Oak Woodlands Restoration Porject

Rangeland often contains viable and recoverable native woodland habitat. By creating a demonstration site where habitat protection is combined with working landscape activities such as farming and cattle grazing, WildPlaces and River Ridge Ranch offers techniques and ideas on how to sustainably manage working landscapes, protect riparian habitat, encourage wildlife presence, and increase the productivity of rangeland habitat.

Service Learning

Meaningful community service for young people to teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities

Springville Nursery

Our native plant nursery located in Springville is a partnership with U.S.F.S. where we propagate and care for hundreds of trees, grasses and shrubs unique to this area. Plant material is used in restoration projects as well as given away to the public for home gardens. Volunteers manage the nursery where Blue and Valley oaks, elderberry, redbud, Giant sequoia, willow, wild rose, ceanothus, and other unique plants thrive throughout the year.